The Difference Between Apples and Oranges
by writerchic16
Summary: Sweets said that Brennan could rationalize anything, even murder. Brennan realizes the good doctor gave her too much credit. (Companion for The Verdict in the Story/The Wannabe in the Woods/The Bone That Blew)


**The Difference Between Apples and Oranges**

Summary: Sweets said that Brennan could rationalize anything, even murder. Brennan realizes the good doctor gave her too much credit. (Companion for The Verdict in the Story/The Wannabe in the Woods/The Bone That Blew)

A/N: Takes place during The Bone That Blew. This is different for me because a) I don't usually do angst, and b) I haven't posted to a new category in years. Yup, this is my first Bones story! A friend talked me into a Netflix marathon so I've watched five seasons since August. So, while I've watched about five and a half seasons, I haven't known these characters long. Hopefully my newbie status doesn't show too much here.

[Spoiler Alert - probably overkill since this is a companion story.] I just want to state that I know Zack didn't really do it. The important part here is that Brennan and Booth don't.

* * *

 _"You are far too rational for that."_

 _"Exactly."_

Sweets lingered after Max left the diner. Brennan didn't encourage the shrink to stay, and asked a waiter for the bill. She partly blamed him for her current dilemma so she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of a psychological breakthrough. One look at Sweets brought her back to the trial and his assessment of her character.

The therapist ignored Brennan's request for the bill. "It's okay if you still don't trust your father, you know," Sweets began. "Hoping that he doesn't go to jail and trusting him after everything he's done are two separate notions. The first is instinctual, the second requires more time."

As she took out her wallet, Brennan's resentment towards Sweets heated to a boiling point. _She was not his lab rat._ He couldn't call her her a murderer or...or _not tell her that Booth wasn't really dead_...and expect her to treat him the same after. "Explain something to me, Sweets," she said, her tone deceptively casual. "You think there has to be an underlying reason why I don't like the idea of my father working with me. You think there's an emotional component to my behavior."

Sweets paused, hesitant to believe she'd expressed agreement with him. "Yes, I do."

"Yet, a few months ago, you told a jury I'm so focused on logic that I could reason away murder." She tossed money on top of the bill and stood from the diner stool to put her coat on. Sweets appeared blindsided by the unexpected topic. "Which is it? Am I so rational that I'm a metaphorical robot, or do I act based on emotions? I'm inclined to believe the former since you said it under oath."

His eyes wide, Sweets attempted speaking but no words emerged. He had to clear his throat before regaining the ability to speak. "I-I never implied you were a robot! Normally you are extremely practical but many situations bring out your emotional side..."

"And killing someone wouldn't?"

Maybe she didn't read people well, but Brennan liked to think she saw regret in his somber expression. Her coat on and purse in hand, she stopped near his seat to take a parting shot. "If I can rationalize murder," she began, her voice almost a whisper. "I can certainly handle my emotions otherwise. Keep that in mind."

She walked out of the diner without waiting for his analysis.

* * *

Later on, after visiting a victim's apartment with Booth, Brennan went back to her desk to work. Booth needed to consult Angela and Cam but stopped by her office on his way out.

"Hey, I got a mysterious call from Sweets," Booth began. "He told me to check on you but wouldn't say why. This is me checking on you, in case he asks." His joking manner faded when he saw her distracted frown. "Are you okay, Bones? If your father working here really bothers you, I'll help him find a job somewhere else."

Typical Booth, noticing her problems and doing what he could to fix them. Brennan would appreciate the gesture more if she wasn't consumed by her thoughts. "My father working here interferes with our criminal investigations. On a personal level, I'm more upset because of what Cam said this morning."

Booth pulled over a chair and sat in front of her desk. "So you _are_ upset about your father, but it's because Cam compared us to him this morning. When she said we'd also killed people."

"It was a glib, vague statement that doesn't hold up under further examination. She was wrong."

"I agree, the situations are very different. Apples and oranges."

"'Apples and oranges'? Of course I know what those words mean but I don't see how they are relevant."

Booth chuckled. "It's a saying, Bones. People use it when someone compares two things that look similar on the surface but actually aren't underneath."

His explanation eased her confusion. "I guess that's a valid connection. Scientifically speaking apples and oranges have different biological makeups. Though they don't look the same at all, I guess they merit comparison since they are both classified as fruit."

Brennan recognized the suppressed laughter on Booth's face. While she didn't read people well, she'd been around him enough to know that particular look. "Glad you approve, Bones," he replied. "Now, if you realize what Cam said doesn't really apply, why..." He trailed off, all traces of humor gone. "You got upset when Cam indirectly brought up the shooting. Is this about Pam Nunan?"

"Sweets said I could rationalize anything," Brennan replied, her voice soft and full of bitterness. "I agreed with him today to prove a point, but in light of Cam's assessment, I...I worry that my strict focus on self-contained logic could lead to a distortion of reality. It did for Zack. And my father, he did what he did to save me and Russ. He thought what he did was right too. What if, in the future, I also convince myself that wrong is right?"

Booth hesitated, struggling to form a counter-argument. "You're not Zack, or your father. You are Temperance Brennan."

"So? They're Zack Addy and Max Keenan. Stating my name doesn't contribute anything."

A frustrated sigh escaped as he massaged his forehead. "I _meant_ that you're not like them."

Brennan tilted her head in thought. "Well, I suppose I'm worse than them because Pam Nunan is the second person I killed. I also shot Gil Lappin. It further proves that I'm dangerous when I perceive a threat, especially if the threat is against you."

"I'm not sure if that was flattering or horrifying," Booth grumbled.

"You should lean towards horrifying," Brennan informed him in her usual blunt manner. "As you're well aware, according to the FBI's definition, a person becomes a serial killer when they've murdered three people. I'm one death away from becoming an official serial killer!"

Booth kept his face neutral during her rant. "Have anyone in mind for that third victim, Bones?"

"What? No!"

"Then you're not a serial killer. You didn't plan your actions. You acted in self-defense both times."

"I'm still dangerous," Brennan insisted. "Given the statistics, the probability of me killing the next person who threatens your life is very high."

His smile returned. "Well, I feel a lot safer."

"Booth!"

"Hear me out, Bones," Booth said, his hands folded in his lap. "Max Keenan and Zack Addy plotted their murders. Their misguided way of thinking caused them to go through with it, even when they could have gone to someone else for help or chosen another course of action. They didn't see their victims as people, just obstacles. Was that true for you when you killed Gil Lappin and Pam Nunan? Did you see them as people?"

Brennan stayed quiet while she mentally revisited both shootings. What had she been thinking when she pulled the trigger? The moments lacked clarity since she spent so much effort suppressing them. "Every human being is a person, Booth. Even Howard Epps was a person," she answered. "They had childhoods, parents...fears, insecurities. Those people need to be stopped when _they_ fail to see the value of a human life. Gil Lappin had reached that point." Tears formed in her eyes, rolled down her cheeks. "Pam Nunan, though...she was sick, she had a mental illness. She could have improved with treatment. She could have been saved. All I knew was that you needed help and she'd aimed the gun at me again...I didn't want to kill her, I shot the gun without even aiming..."

Booth leaned forward in his chair so his upper body partially stretched over the desk. "That's the difference, Bones. All this emotion you're feeling now is the exact reason why you could never be your father, or Zack. Sweets was wrong during the trial. You're extremely logical, but you could never justify taking a human life."

She reached out for the hands he'd placed between them, smiled through the tears when he squeezed her hands in response. "I just wish I could be certain," she confessed in a whisper.

"How about we make a deal?" Booth sat back in his chair while Brennan wiped the tears from her eyes. "You save my life every time a crazy person attacks me, and I'll let you know if you're on the verge of becoming a serial killer. I'm no Sweets but I like to think I'd recognize the signs."

He would. That was another difference between Brennan and her father, or Zack - she had Booth right there next to her. She rubbed her face to clear off the rest of her tears. "Thank you, Booth."

"No problem, Bones." He paused just inside the office doorway. "Hey, coffee later? I'll track down this evidence, you think about letting your father work here, we'll compare notes at the diner."

Maybe she should give her father another chance. While Booth kept an eye on her, she could look out for her father. This time around she would be the first one to know if Max returned to his criminal past. "Call me when you get back."

"Always do, Bones. See you later."

Brennan smiled to herself as she watched Booth leave the lab. He'd unintentionally made an accurate statement. He did always call her, and she always saw him later.


End file.
